W’Bank: Global Waste to Grow by 70% By 2050 Unless Urgent Action is Taken
Expert Tasks FG on Developing Tourism Sector
Stories by Ugo Aliogo
Without urgent action, global waste will increase by 70 per cent on current levels by 2050, according to the World Bank’s new “What a Waste 2.0: A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050,” report released recently.
Driven by rapid urbanisation and growing population, global annual waste generation was expected to jump to 3.4 billion tonnes over the next 30 years, up from 2.01 billion tonnes in 2016, the report stated.
Although they only account for 16 per cent of the world’s population, high-income countries combined are generating more than one-third (34 percent) of the world’s waste.
The East Asia and Pacific region is responsible for generating close to a quarter (23 percent) of all waste. And by 2050, waste generation in Sub-Saharan Africa is expected to more than triple from current levels, while South Asia will more than double its waste stream.
Plastics are especially problematic. If not collected and managed properly, they will contaminate and affect waterways and ecosystems for hundreds, if not thousands, of years.
In 2016, the world generated 242 million tonnes of plastic waste, or 12 percent of all solid waste, according to the report.
It stressed that solid waste management is critical for sustainable, healthy, and inclusive cities and communities, yet it is often overlooked, particularly in low-income countries.
While more than one-third of waste in high-income countries is recovered through recycling and composting, only four per cent of waste in low-income countries was recycled.
Based on the volume of waste generated, its composition, and how the waste was being managed, it was estimated that 1.6 billion tonnes of carbon-dioxide-equivalent were generated from the treatment and disposal of waste in 2016 – representing about five per cent of global emissions.
“Mismanagement of waste is harming human health and local environments while adding to the climate challenge,” Vice President for Sustainable Development, World Bank, Laura Tuck.
“Unfortunately, it is often the poorest in society who are adversely impacted by inadequate waste management. It doesn’t have to be this way. Our resources need to be used and then reused continuously so that they don’t end up in landfills.”
The report noted that good waste management systems are essential to building a circular economy, where products are designed and optimized for reuse and recycling.
As national and local governments embrace the circular economy, smart and sustainable ways to manage waste will help promote efficient economic growth while minimising environmental impact.
“It makes economic sense to properly manage waste,” World Bank Urban Development Specialist and lead author of the report, Silpa Kaza said.
“Uncollected waste and poorly disposed waste have significant health and environmental impacts. The cost of addressing these impacts is many times higher than the cost of developing and operating simple, adequate waste management systems. Solutions exist, and we can help countries get there.”
Supporting countries to make critical solid waste management financing, policy, and planning decisions is key.
Solutions included providing financing to countries most in need, especially the fastest growing countries, to develop state- of- the- art waste management systems; supporting major waste producing countries to reduce consumption of plastics and marine litter through comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs and reducing food waste through consumer education, organics management, and coordinated food waste management programs.
Since 2000, the World Bank has committed over $ 4.7 billion to more than 340 solid waste management programs in countries across the globe.
What a Waste 2.0 was funded by the government of Japan through the World Bank’s Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC).
The Director, Tourism Consultant Forum (TCF), Mrs. Clara Okoro, has urged the federal government to implement strategic policies to drive the growth of the tourism sector.
Okoro, who disclosed this to THISDAY in an interview, noted that if Nigeria adopts the right policy framework, it would offer the country huge opportunity to develop its numerous economic potentials.
She also noted that other countries were reaping economic gains from the tourism industry, having adopted transformative and sustainable economic policies.
“Agricultural tourism, medical tourism, faith-based tourism, and landscape tourism are all tourist attractions that can develop the sub-sector, they are like masterplans that can employ a lot of people and help grow the economy if they are properly structured.
“So, Nigeria stands to gain a lot if there is a cohesive strategic plan that can make tourism the alternative to our oil-based economy,” she noted.
She also advised government to partner with organisations such as TCF and allied sectors in driving the growth of the sector.
“With members nationwide, we represent one of the forces influencing the tourism space in Nigeria. Our key interests include, ensuring that we foster education, excellence, inclusion, knowledge and experience of Nigeria’s abundant offerings in tourism, through our professional tourism consultancy as well as strategic partnerships with Government and other professional bodies.
“These will take the tourism industry in Nigeria and especially in states where we have large membership base to the levels where they should be.
“Our members have and are still in the business of transforming the tourism sector in Nigeria; we handle Turnkey projects for State Governments in Nigeria and also develop strategic Tourism Blueprints for states that want to harness their tourism potentials,” Okoro disclosed.